Integrating small numbers

[chickencheeper]

hello, we currently have 6 5 birds(my first death yesterday) and the rest of the fam is open to more chickens but they only want 3 more, is the integration really going to be a nightmare? Or should we get 6(the feed store minimum and what I want) more? How would we go about integrating them, we have another run in the making that will be connected to the original via Chunnel(chicken tunnel) would that be a good pen for them to live in during the integration. Thanks

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Are you integrating chicks or adults?
What breeds do you have?

 

[chickencheeper]

Are you integrating chicks or adults?
What breeds do you have?

We’d be integrating pullets. We currently have 11 month old hens. 1 rir, 1 bo, and 3 pbr’s

 

[TheTwoRoos]

How old will the pullets be?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

You have pullets currently

 

[chickencheeper]

How old will the pullets be?

The pullets would be 6-8 weeks at time of integration and the hens would be about a year and one month at first meeting(first time the pullets would be outside) idk how old they’d all be when we’d put them all together.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Integrating at a young age is a great idea.Keeping then separated for the first few weeks is a good idea.By four months I would add them together.I seriously doubt you will have any serious issues.Tehre might be a fight or two or nine at all but I wouldn’t worry.

 

[chickencheeper]

Integrating at a young age is a great idea.Keeping then separated for the first few weeks is a good idea.By four months I would add them together.I seriously doubt you will have any serious issues.Tehre might be a fight or two or nine at all but I wouldn’t worry.

Would 3 hens be doable and fine for them? Would it be to stressful? Would 6 hens be better

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Depends on how you feel,would you be satisfied with just three or are to interested in more?Its not going to be stressful at all really because the birds will be able to see each other for so long.Once added they will all probably look as if they have been together for years,maybe a few pecks here and there but that’s probably gonna be your only issue,and even if it does become a stressful process their gonna be stressed regardless of the amount of birds.I will be honest,your probably stressing more right now then the birds will when they meet.Can I see your coop and run size?How big is it all?

 

[chickencheeper]

We just were at the feed store and the owner said they could sell us 4. Fam is happy with that so we’re probably gonna do it.